Power point

[Ian D. Stewart]

On Sun, 2004-09-05 at 17:04, John Arkoulis wrote:
> Hi all. Here I am again asking... is there a program that I can use as a
> replacement for MS power point??

I know a lot of folks have already recommended OpenOffice Impress, and
if what you are looking for is a drop-in replacement for PowerPoint
(especially one that maintains binary compatibility), that is definately
the way to go.

However, an alternative approach you may want to consider is (X)HTML
plus SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics).  Such a combination offers a number
of advantages over the PowerPoint/Impress route:

1) Industry standard

Both (X)HTML and SVG are Technical Recommendations developed and
maintained by W3C, as opposed to proprietary formats, with all that
involves.

2) Scriptability

Both (X)HTML and SVG support client-side scripting of their Document
Object Model through ECMAScript (AKA "JavaScript")

3) XML-based

Both (X)HTML and SVG are XML applications, allowing you to leverage
existing XML toolsets and skillsets (XSLT immediately comes to mind). 
As a text-based, as opposed to binary, format, this allows for easier
extraction of meaningful information.


HTH,
Ian